December 18 - Singapore-based Yantai Raffles shipyard is claiming a record for the achieving the heaviest-ever commercial lift when it successfully lifted the deckbox of Saipem's Frigstad D90 semi submersible drilling rig Scarabeo 9.

The semi submersible drilling rig is a state-of-the-art sixth generation semi submersible with a DP3 system which was built for ultra deepwater drilling.

Brian Chang, deputy chairman of Yantai Raffles said: "This is another major feat for Yantai Raffles and is an important milestone in the overall construction of Saipem's Frigstad D90 semi submersible Scarabeo 9. Our 20,000 tonne crane has now firmly realised its reputation as the lifting methodology of the future and we will continue to work closely with Saipem to meet its expectations."

The use of the crane has improved the efficiency of the shipyard, saving over two million man-hours during the construction process, making significant project cost savings and bringing the construction down to the ground with dramatically improved levels of safety.